Sundowns Finally Get Their League Campaign Back on Track, But Gallants Stand in the Way

JOHANNESBURG – Mamelodi Sundowns will finally get their delayed Betway Premiership campaign back on track on Wednesday evening when they host Marumo Gallants at Loftus Versfeld.

The fixture was originally scheduled for August 1 but was postponed at Sundowns’ request after the club’s pre-season preparations were disrupted by the death of midfielder Jayden Adams. The squad attended Adams’ memorial service before leaving for their training camp in Austria a week later than planned.

Adams was later posthumously honoured with the PSL Chairman’s Award at the league’s annual awards.

Wednesday’s match will kick off at 19h30 in Pretoria after the Premier Soccer League approved the revised date.

Gallants president Abram Sello confirmed that his club had been informed of the postponement about two weeks in advance, saying the arrangement between the clubs and the league had “worked very well”.

The delay has also allowed newly appointed Gallants coach Phuti Mohafe additional time to work with an overhauled squad after the club unveiled a number of new signings this month.

Kekana: “We’re quite ready”

Sundowns defender Grant Kekana said the champions have used their preparations effectively and are ready for their first home league match of the season.

“I think the preparations are going well. We started on a good note, there’s a lot of positives that we’re doing and it’s just about us building. We’re quite ready for the first game of the season, our first home game,” Kekana told the media at Chloorkop on Monday.

He also called on Sundowns supporters to arrive early and in numbers for the Loftus clash.

“We just want to urge the supporters to come in numbers, come early. We obviously have a few surprises for them. Our slogan this season is also just, as Massanda said, to keep on rising. We’re looking forward to Wednesday’s game.”

Allende: “We are ready for the next one”

Midfielder Marcelo Allende was equally positive about Sundowns’ start to the new campaign.

“We are doing well. We are doing training by training and we are ready for the next one. We have three games already, we won two of them, we drew the third one but we will keep together and we are ready for the next one,” Allende said.

The Chilean was referring to Sundowns’ three competitive matches so far this season, including their 3-2 MTN8 win over Polokwane City and their two league matches.

Sundowns opened their Betway Premiership campaign with a 3-2 victory over TS Galaxy before drawing 1-1 with Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

The result against Chiefs extended Sundowns’ unbeaten start and gives them an opportunity to build momentum when they return home on Wednesday.

Chance to close the gap

The Gallants match will be Sundowns’ third Betway Premiership fixture of the season, bringing them level with the early pace-setters in terms of games played.

Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu FC have all played two matches, with each side recording two wins and a draw. Sundowns’ postponed opening fixture has left them with a game in hand, making Wednesday’s encounter an important opportunity to close the gap at the top.

Gallants, meanwhile, arrive at Loftus with a new coach and a significantly reshaped squad. Mohafe will be hoping the additional preparation time has helped his players settle into his methods and gives them the platform to challenge the champions.

For Sundowns, the priority will be to turn their strong start into sustained momentum.

For Gallants, the task is considerably tougher: disrupt the champions on their own turf and make the most of the extra preparation time afforded by the postponement.

Kick-off at Loftus Versfeld Stadium is scheduled for 19h30 on Wednesday.